13.

XV.

For, to difpenfe with Morality, and to in-SER M. dulge men in certain ftated Equivalents of Ceremony, in the stead of real Virtue and Amendment of Manners; is a Power, which even God himself has never claimed; and the doing of which, would be, (as the Apostle expreffes it) to deny him- 2 Tim. ii. felf: It would be a changing of his unchangeable Nature, and making himself to be what he is not. Yet He who ftiles himself The Vicar of Chrift, has often claimed to himself This Power; and, in fome Ages of the Church, has carried it fo far, as even folemnly to abfolve men from the Obligation of just and reasonable Compacts, and thofe too made and confirmed upon Oath; merely to set them at liberty to be guilty of the most unjuft and violent Oppreffions, confistently with being very pious and religious perfons. What is This, but opening his Mouth in Blafphemy against God, and speaking Great Words against the most High? That is: Not in the way of profeffing Atheism, or openly defying the Name of Religion; but by turning Religion itself into Superftition and Wickedness.

AND

SERM.

XV.

AND in order the more effectually to fupport this abfurd and extravagant Power; the Church of Rome has, by the Esta blishment of its New Doctrines and Practices, fenced itself in, and excluded abfolutely out of Communion all Chriftians who are not willing to make void the Commandments of God through thefe Traditions of Men. By which means, they have formed a violent Schifm; feparating and dividing themselves totally from all Chriftians, who defire to hold faft That Form of found words, that Doctrine which was once delivered unto the Saints by Chrift and his Apostles, and which is now conveyed down to us in the Sacred Writings: And then they confidently reproach all those with the name of Schifmaticks, who dare not join with them in this their Great Schifm. Which is exactly the fame thing, as if, in a Civil Government, a private Corporation fhould make Bylas contrary to the Laws of the Country; and then confidently caft the reproachful name of Traitors upon all the reft of their Fellow-Subjects, who are not willing to involve themselves in the

guilt of real Rebellion by fubmitting to SER M. thofe illegal By-laws.

IN confequence of this Great Separation, by which the Church of Rome has thus hedged itself in, and formed itself into a Sect, exclufive of and deftructive to all fuch as defire to obey God rather than Men; they have in all places, where-ever they have had Power, openly fet themfelves to deftroy and extirpate, by all the Methods of Violence and Cruelty, all who would not fall down and worship this Image which they have fet up. They have. made War with the Saints, and prevailed against them, and worn them out. They have, by Courts of Inquifition, made it unspeakably more penal, to differ from them in any point of doctrine of mere humane invention, than to have been guilty of the most enormous Vices and Immoralities, in breach of the Eternal Laws of God. And whereas in all Civil Governments, where-ever there are Any Remains of Humanity, all Laws concerning Captital Crimes are fo framed, as that it may be more poffible for a guilty perfon to efcape, than that an Innocent one should

Suffer;

XV..

XV.

SERM.fuffer; in This Kingdom, on the contrary, diverfe from all Kingdoms, the Principle is, that Millions, not only of Innocent perfons, but even of the Best and most Vir tuous men, ought rather to be expofed to the extremeft misery, and to Punishments cruel above the worst of Malefactors than that any of Their Doctrines, however contrary to All Sense and Reason, should be permitted to be examined and debated whether they be true or no.

z Th. ii. 9.

10.

Rev.xviii.

23.

2. ANOTHER Inftance, wherein This Great oppreffive Power differs from other Tyrannies; is, that it has been raised and kept up, not by Force only, but by Sorceries and Lying Wonders peculiar to itself. By Signs and Wonders and Lying Miracles, which the Scripture calls the deceivablenefs of unrighteousness; by These have they imposed upon the ignorant and credulous. By numberless artifical Methods of making men very Religious without Any Virtue, which are what the Scripture calls Sorceries; by These have they drawn away the Superftitious and Devout. By eftaElishing a political Kingdom of Religion, diffused over many Nations, independent

upon

1

XV.

13,15,17.

upon every Government, and yet at the SER M. fame time closely and strongly united within itself, under the uniform direction. of One foreign Power; by This have they gradually prevailed upon the Kings of the Rev. xvii. Earth to have one Mind, and to give up their Kingdom, their Power and Strength, unto the Beast,- even Peoples and Multitudes and Nations and Tongues. Which laft Circumstance, points out to us ftill further, a

3. THIRD Inftance, wherein this Great Oppreffive Power differs from other Tyrannies: And That is, that it is a Tyranny set up over even Remote Princes, over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations; a Rev. xiii Tyranny ruling over the Kings of the 7 Earth, ruling in Places where it never had the leaft pretence of any Civil Power or Authority whatsoever. This is what the Scripture calls, exalting himself above 2Th. ii. 41 all that is called God; above all Magiftracy, Authority, or Dominion, that God ever instituted. Difpofing arbitrarily of Kingdoms: Abfolving Subjects from their Allegiance, from all obligation to obey the Laws of their Country: And caufing

Kings